Public school teachers in Victoria will walk out of classrooms next Tuesday after rejecting a 17 per cent pay rise, leaving the state government scrambling to bring in retired staff.
In Victoria, salaries currently range between $78,021 and $126,992 for teachers. Principals can earn up to $236,313.
An offer made by the state government after eight months of negotiations proposed a 17 per cent overall increase over three years.
Education support staff would have received 13 per cent over three years under the deal.
But the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union rejected the deal on Monday night, saying it does not deliver pay rises that value the work of staff.
The figure is a far cry from the 35 per cent pay increase over four years the union had been demanding.
‘The problem is they are only offering 17 per cent to teachers and to principals, and 13 per cent to education support staff,’ Victorian Branch President Justin Mullaly said.
‘That offer is below standard. That offer is far below what colleagues in other states and territories currently get paid. It’s unacceptable.’
Public school teachers in Victoria will walk out of classrooms after rejecting a 17 per cent pay deal from the state government (TAFE teachers and supporters protest in Melbourne in 2024)
Minister for Education Ben Carroll (pictured) said schools would use retired teachers and casual staff to keep education going during the planned strike
The AEU said the offer would also add to excessive workloads and exacerbate the more than 12 hours of unpaid overtime public school employees do each week.
Some of the terms that would impact this included no cap on meetings or face-to-face teaching, Mr Mullaly said, while placing a limited allowance on overtime.
‘The Allan Labor Government is overseeing the country’s lowest-funded public education system and is the employer to the nation’s lowest paid public school teachers,’ he added.
Education Minister Ben Carroll said on Tuesday that he would continue to work with the AEU and prioritise dialogue over conflict.
‘Our schools will be open, we are calling on the union again to work with us, this is a serious, compelling offer,’ he told reporters in Ascot Vale.
When asked how this was possible, Carroll said they would use retired teachers and casual staff.
However, he conceded that, if the strike went ahead, a normal curriculum would not be run.
Victoria isn’t the only state in pay negotiations with teachers.
Queensland and Tasmania are offering an eight per cent salary rise, and the Catholic system recently offered a 13 per cent deal.
Union members working in Victorian public schools will stop work for 24 hours on March 24 after the Fair Work Commission-endorsed ballot had 98 per cent of members vote to take stop-work action.
